This article appeared in the Winter 2012 issue of LINKS.
IN AN IDEAL WORLD, we all would show up at the course an hour early, stretch, and methodically go through our bag like a Tour pro. In reality, we’re usually running late and are lucky to hit a few putts. If you have only 15 minutes to warm up, rather than rushing through a bag of balls and messing up your tempo, here are six dynamic exercises from Dr. Robert Duvall, Discovery Land Company’s director of sports performance and wellness.
You can even start on the way to the course with your deep abdominal muscles by bringing your belly button closer to your spine and holding for 10–20 seconds.
Hold a club between your extended thumbs and fingers. Keep your feet together, and slowly raise your arms overhead. Hold for two seconds, then tilt forward, shift your hips back, and drop your arms down slowly toward the ground. Try to keep your legs straight. Perform 10 times.
Merry go Round
Place a ball on the ground and hold the club in front of your shoulders with crisscrossed arms. Assume your address and take a small backswing (the butt of the club should not pass the ball), then slowly start your downswing with the clubhead moving in an arc over the ball. Finish on your left side (for right handers) while main-taining proper posture. Perform 15 times. Begin slowly then increase speed, but don’t sacrifice form for speed.
Hold the club overhead, extend your right leg forward, and slowly lower your left knee toward ground. Tilt your body to the right while keeping your arms raised. Hold for five seconds, then return. Repeat five times each side.
Hold the golf club overhead with your hands wider than shoulder width. Try to keep the club overhead as you drop your hips back and squat down slowly. Keep your feet flat about hip-width apart and your knees in line with your feet. Do not allow your knees to kink in or
your heels to rise up. Place your heels on the edge of a sleeve of balls if need be. Perform 10 times.
Happy Gilmore Swing
Yep, just like the movie. Begin with the ball teed up high and a mid-iron extended past it. Take a small step sideways with your right foot and then bring your left foot next to it. Maintain the proper spine angle and slowly bring the club back into the backswing position while stepping forward with your left leg. Then take a step with your left leg and make a forward swing with your weight finishing completely on your left side.
Perform 20 times.
Place your golf club in your left hand for support, stand on your left leg, and slowly raise your right leg forward with your knee straight, toe up, then bring it back behind you with knee bent. Perform slowly then increase speed to make more challenging. Perform 10 times each side.
By: Tom Cunneff